President Prabowo prepares Inpres and Kepres for the rescue of elephant populations and national forests

Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto will take rescue actions related to the declining population of elephants in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

This was conveyed by Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni after meeting President Prabowo at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Thursday, March 12.

According to Raja Juli, half of the elephant pockets in Indonesia are gone. The government is preparing a Presidential Instruction (Inpres) to save the population and habitat of Sumatran elephants and Borneo elephants. Raja Juli said, of the 42 elephant pockets that had been scientifically recorded, only 21 remained.

According to him, without serious intervention, habitat destruction will continue and could lead to the extinction of elephants as protected animals and iconic Indonesian species. According to Raja Juli, the problem is not only the loss of elephant pockets.

The remaining habitat is also fragmented. Therefore, the government will also create a corridor within the habitat pocket to expand the animal's cruising range and prevent inbreeding that could damage the elephant population in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

Raja Juli also touched on the elephant habitat area in Aceh which came from PBPH or the Presidential Forest Utilization Permit of Prabowo.

According to him, the land that was originally requested for 10 thousand hectares has now increased to 90 thousand hectares and is intended for the protection of the habitat of Sumatran elephants.